Q&A: Robert Provine and the Science of Laughter

Jan 11, 2019 / 4 minutes of reading

Have you ever tried to make yourself laugh – or make yourself stop laughing? According to Robert Provine, professor emeritus of psychology, these two actions are out of our control because laughter is all about our innate ability to connect with one another. In Time magazine’s special edition The Science of Laughter: Our Bodies. Our Minds. Our Souls., Provine’s groundbreaking research is front and center as the basis for inspiration for laughter research across the country. “Dr. Provine’s laughter research is revealing, engaging and original. It gave our book excellent context,” shares Kostya Kennedy, editorial director of Time books. The… Continue Reading Q&A: Robert Provine and the Science of Laughter

Countering Russian disinformation the Baltic nations’ way

Jan 9, 2019 / 6 minutes of reading

Certain European countries’ experience confronting Russian disinformation campaigns may offer useful lessons as the U.S. joins the battle. Continue Reading Countering Russian disinformation the Baltic nations’ way

Highly magnified organisms collected and photographed at UMBC by Tagide deCarvalho.

Tiny Beautiful Things

Jan 5, 2019 / 5 minutes of reading

Beneath the black and gold, and far beyond what might immediately catch your eye, lies a world of wonder. You just need to know where — and how — to look. Continue Reading Tiny Beautiful Things

Who is responsible for migrants?

Dec 18, 2018 / 5 minutes of reading

Seen through an international lens, both migrant-sending and migrant-receiving countries share responsibility for the people displaced by globalization. Continue Reading Who is responsible for migrants?

Fanzines from UMBC's Special Collections

How To Become a Fanzine Fan

Dec 17, 2018 / 5 minutes of reading

Lucky for us, UMBC’s Special Collections has an out of this world selection of fanzine treasures! Continue Reading How To Become a Fanzine Fan

Windows to the Past

Dec 15, 2018 / 3 minutes of reading

When Scott Casper, dean of the College of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences, was asked to lend his expertise in 19th-century U.S. history to help understand a unique artifact found during the Walters Art Museum renovation of the 1850s mansion at 1 West Mount Vernon Place (known to many as the Hackerman House), he was intrigued. The item in question was a letter dated December 6,1861, and written by Sybby Grant, a highly skilled cook enslaved at the house, to her owner John Hanson Thomas. Casper joined the exhibition’s academic advisory committee – including experts from Morgan State University, Maryland… Continue Reading Windows to the Past

diamonds are forever -- whether from a mine or a lab

Diamonds are forever – whether made in a lab or mined from the earth

Dec 12, 2018 / 6 minutes of reading

The beauty and splendor of diamonds goes well beyond the surface. Like a diamond hunter digging in an underground mine, one must look deeper to their atomic characteristics to understand what sets these stones apart – and what makes them valuable not just for romantics but also for scientists. Continue Reading Diamonds are forever – whether made in a lab or mined from the earth

Barbara Traub, Twin Peaks, 1994, gelatin silver print. Accession no. 2013-02-022, © Barbara Traub, used with permission

Depth of Field showcases UMBC’s spectacular photo collections

Nov 30, 2018 / 3 minutes of reading

UMBC’s photography collection includes more than two million works, including rare and historic prints showcasing a range of formats, processes, genres, and technologies. Among these are the approximately one hundred images chosen for Depth of Field, an exhibit showcasing work acquired over the past decade. Continue Reading Depth of Field showcases UMBC’s spectacular photo collections

A Designed Life: Modernism as Propaganda

Nov 26, 2018 / 3 minutes of reading

A Designed Life (ADL) re-imagines, re-creates, and interprets three Cold War-era traveling displays of American-designed and manufactured goods commissioned by the U.S. Department of State that were circulated within West Germany in the early 1950s. Continue Reading A Designed Life: Modernism as Propaganda

The equivalence test: A new way for scientists to tackle so-called negative results

Nov 19, 2018 / 5 minutes of reading

Equivalence testing provides another tool in the toolbox for scientists to present “positive” results. Continue Reading The equivalence test: A new way for scientists to tackle so-called negative results

4 Reasons Gerrymandering is Getting Worse

Oct 29, 2018 / 6 minutes of reading

November’s midterm elections are some of the most eagerly awaited, closely watched and hyperpartisan for many years. But the results for many congressional House seats are already known because the election will occur at a time of rampant gerrymandering. Continue Reading 4 Reasons Gerrymandering is Getting Worse

A day to celebrate chemistry’s favorite unit — the mole. But what’s a mole?

Oct 22, 2018 / 4 minutes of reading

On Oct. 23, between 6:02 a.m. and 6:02 p.m., chemists celebrate Mole Day — a day to celebrate a very important idea in the sub-microscopic world. Continue Reading A day to celebrate chemistry’s favorite unit — the mole. But what’s a mole?

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